The Zodiac Rat owns a twelfth of all of Time, and lives among the stars in a Celestial Palace you are far too earth-tainted and lowly to ever step inside. But his messengers, the rats with living starstuff in their eyes and down their limbs? They'll talk to you. In fact, once you talk to them they don't shut up. Every single one of them seems to be a fount of salacious gossip about the Celestial Palace.
A few of them condescend to carry messages for you, but you severely doubt that they'll carry them anywhere useful. Still, perhaps you'll be able to find a reliable messenger with enough testing.
"Master." You bow low to Master Reshi, who has been your teacher these thirteen years. "I want to prove to you the power of my skill and my style. How may I best do this?"
"Duel me on the proving ground in two week's time. Bring Whitefang. You are dismissed."
The appointed date comes, and you face your Master across the proving ground. A crowd has gathered on the hard-packed earth, forming a rough circle for the two of you to duel in.
"Come at me with everything you have," he says. "It's the only way you'll stand a chance."
"Even with Whitefang?", you ask.
"Even with it."
You square yourself, and steel yourself. Your prey in this hunt will be Master Reshi. You focus, and bring forwards the intent to kill. Your left leg slides back in a half-crescent, and plants firmly on the solid earth.
You raise Whitefang.
Grey Rat's Black Claws.
Whitefang wails like a banshee as Death Atma pours through it, shrouding the spearpoint in a halo of darkness.
"Begin!"
In the first breath, you explode towards Master Reshi, Whitefang held at the ready. He lazily takes a half-step aside, but you twitch the screaming spearpoint towards him and force him to take a long jump backwards.
In the second breath, you double your steps and force speed from your limbs to catch up to your Master while he's still unable to change his trajectory. Your spearpoint levels onto his heart; he raises his arms in a cross to block, and a shining shield of Metal Atma sheathes his skin. You drive the spearpoint home - but he catches it just behind the head, and tries to twist it out of your grasp.
In the third breath, you use your leverage on Whitefang to twist it loose of Master Reshi's grip - but he's delayed you long enough to land from his leap. As you strike again, he steps inside your reach and slaps the side of your spear, throwing off your balance.
In the fourth breath, you twist Whitefang to strike upwards with the blunt end at Master Reshi's groin. He pauses to let it pass - so you follow with a thrust of the butt of the spear, and catch him in the gut. He doesn't even stagger: taking one step back, he catches Whitefang by the butt end - this time with the screaming spearpoint on your end.
In the fifth breath, you drop Whitefang and go for your master's throat with your Black Claws. You're still inside Whitefang's reach, and Master Reshi is off-balance. He staggers back - but your Black Claws are not so easily turned aside. Your hand drops to rake them across his gut.
"Hold!", Master Reshi calls.
You drop your Claws, but still make the swipe across Master Reshi's heart that might have killed him. Your hands feel steel under the shirt, but...
"Well fought," says Master Reshi.
You take a step back, and take his offered hand to shake.
"Were you holding back?", you ask.
In response, Master Reshi pulls an ethereal sword from nowhere.
You sigh. "I see."
"It's nothing to be ashamed of," says Master Reshi. He hands you back Whitefang. "You're a bright young talent, not a challenger to someone like me. But what you've done is impressive. Your skills are strong, particularly for someone only 30 years old."
You nod. "I'm glad I could demonstrate to you the strength of my Way."
"Mhm. I'll certainly consider it more in future. You are dismissed."
You stand alone with Whitefang, and watch him go.
Adare Kaname, Bureaucrat of Grey Rat Style
Fisher King: You take on the properties of the Style you're responsible for reflexively. Your personality feeds the style, and vice versa.
Cultivator 3
Legendary 3
Revolutionary 1
Lunar 4
Wyld 3
Hunter 4
Warrior 2
Assassin 3
Artisan 4
Alchemist 1
Rich 1
Worldly 2
Prepared 5
Alert 4
Tranquil 3
Cooperative 2
Disreputable 5
Cowardly 2
Vicious 3
Ghoulish 2
Style: Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens
Rigorous 3
Style of Legend 3
Hero-Killing 1
Yin Style 4
Chi Style 3
Beast-Killing 4
Killing Intent 2
Assassination 3
Artisanal 3
Alchemic 1
Varied Techniques 1
Strong Fundamentals 2
Survivalist 5
Rapid 4
Pacifist 3
Teamwork 2
Disreputable 5
Evasive 2
Dangerous 3
Taboo-Breaking 2
Techniques:
Consuming Cultivation Focus
Grey Rat Persists On Corruption
10,000 Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Nimble Grey Rat Dances In Moonlight
Grey Rat Wields The Shadows
Grey Rat Scurries In Darkness
Grey Rat Is Kin To Thousands
Grey Rat Eats Behemoths' Corpses
Grey Rat Climbs Over Corpses
Grey Rats Swarm The Carcass
Grey Rat Flees The Hawk
Grey Rat Endures The Storm
Grey Rat's Black Claws
Grey Rat Bites The Cat
Nimble Paws of the Grey Rat
Hero: Asuka Veran
Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens 6
Good Seed: +20 to Cultivation rolls.
Protagonist: +20 to Cultivation rolls.
Dead Hand: +10 to Atma rolls.
Bone Whistle: +10 to Cultivation rolls.
Bone Hair-Comb: Cultivation +10, Atma +10
Goldfur Robe: +20 to Atma rolls, -1 Voracious
Whitefang: +1 Beast-Killing, Combat +20, Cultivation +20
[ ][Asuka] Continue to train in Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens and develop another Core. Cultivation Check against DC 100, failure = death.
[ ][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Cultivation check at DC 80, gains an additional technique for the Style. Failure = injury or death.
[ ][Asuka] Try to make a twin for Whitefang from the remaining rib. Atma check at DC80. Failure = injury.
[ ][Asuka] Focus on making more Charms from the dead criminal's bones. Atma check at DC50.
[ ][Asuka] Focus on being a good Master to the students who follow you.
[ ][Asuka] Bring Whitefang to Oji and Rei and see if they can push to 6th Dan using it.
[ ][Asuka] Try to kick-start the washouts among your students using Whitefang.
[ ][Domain] Push Taro's limits and encourage him to continue striving for additional Cores.
[ ][Domain] Push Rei and Oji to continue striving for more.
[ ][Domain] Encourage Master Reshi to begin teaching all his students Grey Rat Style.
[ ][Domain] Encourage the new Grey Rat Sect to split from the Green Dragon Sect.
[ ][Domain] Encourage rumors about the new style to spread outside the Sect and attract new students.
[ ][Domain] Popularize the production of bone Charms among the students.
[ ][Domain] Encourage further hunting expeditions among the students.
[ ][Domain] Encourage the students to spar among one another.
[ ][Style] Swarming Grey Rats Pull Down Heaven
Develop the style's teamwork ability, aiming to defeat the inverse ninja effect. Build path: Hero-Killer
[ ][Style] Grey Rat Scents The Kill
Develop the ability to heighten the sense of smell dramatically, allowing users to track prey like a bloodhound. Build Path: Beast-Killer
[ ][Style] Grey Rat Claws In A Frenzy
Develop the style towards unlocking the animalistic fervor of the panicked rat in combat, boosting the style's potential. Build Path: Feral
[ ][Style] Grey Rat Huddles In Darkness
Develop the style towards having solid defenses against incoming attack. Build Path: Fundamentals
[ ][Personal] Go to see your friends in your Wyldfae village.
[ ][Personal] Attend to your responsibilities as a minor courtier of Luna.
[ ][Personal] Continue negotiations with King Death and his court.
[ ][Personal] Continue attempting to contact the court of the Zodiac Rat.
[ ][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Write in a fault.)
[ ][Personal] Hunt Demon Beasts to craft a Treasure for Asuka.
[ ][Personal] Use your influence over Grey Rat style to encourage its discovery by a larger group of practitioners.
[ ][Personal] Continue cultivating and attempt to form a third Core. Cultivation DC60.
